Following JetBlue’s lead, other major airlines in the U.S. will begin requiring passengers to wear face masks, numerous sources reported.
Delta, American, United and Frontier Airlines announced Thursday that passengers will be required to wear face coverings after initially only requiring employees to wear masks, CNN reported.
Passengers wearing protective face masks sleep on their flight to Shanghai on February 4, 2020. (Photo by NOEL CELIS/AFP via Getty Images)
JetBlue became the first major airline to announce the move earlier this week. Delta and United will be requiring passengers to wear face masks beginning May 4, while American Airlines will enact the mandate May 11, according to Politico. Frontier’s face mask requirement begins May 8. (RELATED: JetBlue To Become First Major US Airline To Require Passengers Wear Face Masks)
The decision to require face masks on flights comes after flight attendants and Democratic lawmakers have put pressure on the federal government to mandate masks on planes, which has been resisted at the federal level, Politico reported.
Southwest Airlines, another major airline, has yet to announce or implement a face mask requirement for passengers.
Planes belonging to Delta Air Lines sit idle at Kansas City International Airport on April 03, 2020 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
American Airlines told CNN that they will be offering masks and sanitizing wipes to passengers on select flights, a provision that may take a few weeks to roll out.
Frontier is blocking every other row and requires passengers to agree to a “health acknowledgement” before checking in to certify that they have not been exposed to coronavirus, they don’t have a temperature and promise to wash their hands before boarding.